Mission: To provide independent producers and processors with critical information needed to build successful value-added agriculture enterprises.
Don Hofstrand, Co-director
Source of funding: partial support from U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Rural Business Cooperative Service. ISU Extension provides administrative support and serves as the fiscal agent for AgMRC and its projects.

Mission: Coordinate educational programs and services for beginning farmers; assess needs of beginning and retiring farmers to identify opportunities for programs and services; and develop statewide programs to educate beginning and retiring farm families. The Center is a part of Iowa State University Extension.
Michael D. Duffy, Director and John R. Baker, Administrator
Source of funding: ISU Extension and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station.

Mission: The Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products (BIGMAP) will provide science-based analysis of the risks and benefits of genetically modified plant and animal products. It will provide guidance and education to help safeguard consumers and the environment.
Manjit K. Misra, Director
Source of funding: USDA, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, seed industry, American Seed Trade and Foreign Agriculture Service

Mission: To advance the discovery, development and deployment of technologies for sustainable production of biomass feedstocks, biofuels and bio-based products, and to understand the effects of production of biomass and biofuels on rural landscapes and communities.
Lawrence Johnson, Director
Source of Funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, industry, state agencies and private grants.

Mission: To deliver quality credit and noncredit educational offerings, provide reliable services and ensure exemplary support for technology use and distance education efforts of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station.
Gaylan G. Scofield, Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Distance Education Tuition Funds, on-campus departmental projects, private office campus projects and private gifts.

Mission: To conduct innovative public policy and economic research on agricultural, environmental, and food issues. CARD uniquely combines academic excellence with engagement and anticipatory thinking to inform and benefit society. CARD researchers develop and apply economic theory, quantitative methods, and interdisciplinary approaches to create relevant knowledge. Communication efforts target state and federal policymakers; the research community; agricultural, food, and environmental groups; individual decision-makers; and international audiences. Established in 1958, CARD is among the largest university-based agricultural policy research institutes in the United States.
Catherine L. Kling, Interim Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, federal and state contracts and grants and private industry.

Mission: The Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation at Iowa State University, created by the Iowa Board of Regents in 2006, provides law and policy expertise to the citizens of Iowa and the nation.
Roger McEowen, Director
Source of funding: fees, book sales and donations

Mission: Established in 1987, it is committed to adding value to and increasing the utilization of Midwestern-grown crops to increase grower profitability and contribute to rural economic development by conducting basic and applied research, development, technology transfer and commercialization activities in developing new food, feed, biofuels and biobased products.
Lawrence Johnson, Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, commodity boards, industry, state and public agencies, Plant Sciences Institute (PSI).

Mission: To conduct and foster interdisciplinary research to improve human nutrition and promote good health through new and traditional foods.
Diane Birt, Interim Director
Source of funding: Iowa Agriculture & Home Economics Experiment Station (IAHEES), National Institutes of Health (NIH), USDA, commodity boards, industry, state agencies and PSI.

Mission: Created in 2002, it utilizes integrated systems-wide genomics approaches to address current and future challenges and opportunities in animal agriculture and human health. The Center’s research areas include animal and microbial genomics, bioinformatics, comparative genomics and animal-microbe interactions.
Max F. Rothschild, Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, Vice Provost's office and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Mission: To engage in the discovery and application of science-based and indigenous knowledge to promote resilient, sustainable rural livelihoods in developing countries. We initiate and support collaborative training and development activities that strengthen the capabilities of rural people and their institutions to: improve agricultural and natural resource management practices; build assets; diversify income sources; and achieve food security, nutrition and health. CSRL’s partners are indigenous nongovernmental organizations, universities and international research institutes.
Mark Westgate, Director.
Sources of funding: private gifts through the ISU Foundation, the Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, government and private grants.

Mission: To serve as a catalyst for innovative projects and initiatives designed to improve the vitality of Iowa communities. CVC assesses and encourages best practices for stimulating entrepreneurship, philanthropy and rural-urban policy studies leading to actions that help to stimulate economic vitality of communities and rural areas. The CVC facilitates networking among small and medium size rural communities, sponsors policy analyses, engages communities in dialogue, and fosters discussion among rural and urban interests.
Mark A. Edelman, Director
Source of funding: USDA, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, ISU Extension, match dollars from collaborating interest groups and communities.

Mission:To add value to the egg industry by facilitation research and learning for egg producers, processors and consumers through national and international collaboration.
Hongwei Xin, Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, Iowa Egg Council and private donors.

Mission: Established in 1984 by a grant from the U.S. Congress, it uses comprehensive data and computer modeling systems to analyze the complex economic interrelationships of the food and agriculture industry. It is a dual-university research program. FAPRI programs are conducted cooperatively by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at ISU and the Center for National Food and Agricultural Policy (CNFAP) at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Jacinto Fabiosa, Co-director
Dermot Hayes, Co-director
Source of funding: USDA (special grants, Economic Research Service (ERS), National Research Initiative, Program of Research on the Economics of Invasive Species Management (PREISM) and industry.

Mission: To enhance the vitality, profitability and growth of the Iowa beef industry.
Dan Loy, Interim Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station and ISU Extension

Mission: To promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts.
John W. Mabry, Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station and ISU Extension.

Mission: Named for Iowa-born conservationist Aldo Leopold, this center was established by the Iowa Legislature in 1987 to conduct research on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of farming practices, to help develop profitable farming systems that preserve the productivity and quality of natural resources and the environment, and to work with ISU Extension to share these findings with the agricultural community and the public.
Mark Rasmussen, Director
Source of funding: State of Iowa.

Mission: Goals of the institute include conducting research to develop new cold-hardy grape varieties that can thrive in the Midwest, conducting enology (the science of wine & wine making) research, developing a wine quality award program that will provide wine buyers a quality-assurance stamp of approval, establishing an outreach program to the industry by training a team of specialists, and partnering with community colleges to develop job training programs specific to growing grapes and making wine.
Murli Dharmadikari, Director
Source of funding: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, ISU Extension, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, College of Agricultre and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, Iowa Wine Growers Association

Mission: It is one of five regional centers established to develop collaborative interstate research and cooperative extension programs for commercial aquaculture. The role of the Director is to guide research and extension/outreach activities of the Center.
Joseph E. Morris, Director
Source of funding: USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

Mission: As part of the National Plant Germplasm System, (1) Acquisition, documentation, conservation, characterization, distribution and enhancement of plant genetic resources (PGR) and their diversity effectively and efficiently; and (2) facilitating utilization of plant genetic diversity in research and in crop improvement.
Candice A. Gardner, Research Leader
Source of funding: USDA-ARS, CSREES NC-7 Multi-State Project.

Mission: To provide objective analysis and facilitate public dialogue concerning the impacts of public policy on rural people and places. ISU is a full partner in the RUPRI consortium with the universities of Missouri and Nebraska.
Lois W. Morton and Paul Lasley, ISU Coordinators
Source of funding: Federal grants and contracts

Mission: To improve the production, quality assurance, marketing, utilization and regulatory environment of seed through research, testing, teaching, outreach and international programs.
Manjit Misra, Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, USDA, seed industry, American Seed Trade Association, Iowa Seed Association and Foreign Agricultural Service.

Mission: Established July 2005, it is to add value to the pork industry by facilitating research and learning for U.S. pork producers through national collaboration.
David Meisinger, Director
Source of funding: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Experiment Station, USDA, land grant universities, industry boards and various outside state organizations